A woman was flown to the hospital with injuries after a car was struck by railroad maintenance equipment on the train tracks in Crystal Lake Tuesday morning.
The Crystal Lake Police Department, Metra Police Department and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday to the area of Sands Road and Smitana Road in Crystal Lake for a report of a crash involving a train.
Emergency crews arrived and found that the crash involved a car and a piece of railroad equipment, according to Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis.
A 2012 Volkswagen Beetle appeared to have been traveling northbound on Sands Road when it attempted to cross the railroad tracks.
The Volkswagen was struck in a T-bone style collision by a ballast regulator that was being operated westbound along the train tracks.
A ballast regulator is a piece of railway maintenance equipment that is used to align and distribute stone or gravel, which supports railway ties, along the tracks.
Gillis said the machine belongs to Union Pacific Railroad, which was in the area performing a track tie replacement project along with other machinery.
The driver of the Volkswagen, an adult female, was transported by ambulance to the helipad at Mercyhealth Hospital in Crystal Lake.
A LifeNet medical helicopter responded and landed at the hospital’s helipad.
Gillis said the victim was transferred to the helicopter and flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, which is a Level 1 trauma center.
The extent of the woman’s injuries was unknown but officers at the scene reported she suffered a head injury.
Sands Road was shut down from Route 14 to Smitana Road for several hours during the police investigation.
The roadway was reopened around 1 p.m., according to the Crystal Lake Police Department. Train traffic has since resumed.
It is unclear whether the train gates or lights were activated when the collision occurred. The cause of the crash remains under active investigation.